This episode continues the discussion of the melachah of squeezing (sechita) on Shabbos, focusing on practical halachic applications.

The shiur examines the dispute regarding removing or replacing a cloth stopper in a wine barrel when liquid will inevitably be squeezed out. Even if the result is unintended and undesirable, some opinions prohibit it because the squeezing is inevitable, while others are lenient. The widespread custom follows the lenient view under specific conditions, particularly when the stopper extends beyond the cloth and no container is placed underneath to collect the liquid.

A key distinction is made between different liquids. With wine and other beverages (besides water), the concern is extraction (similar to squeezing grapes or olives). With water, however, squeezing cloth may involve the prohibition of laundering, which is more stringent. Some authorities treat white wine like water in this regard.

The episode then explores practical modern applications:

• Cleaning spilled drinks from a tablecloth without forceful squeezing

• The rabbinic prohibition of squeezing hair after bathing

• The permissibility debate regarding using a wet toothbrush (depending on bristle spacing)

• Drying with a towel after washing or bathing, which is generally permitted when done normally and without intent to squeeze

This episode continues the laws of squeezing (Sechitah) on Shabbos, focusing on practical and nuanced cases. We clarify the difference between passive melting (like placing ice into a drink, which is permitted) and actively causing melting or squeezing, which may be prohibited.

Key topics include:

• Urinating on snow: Some authorities permit it since it resembles trampling snow, while others are stringent because the melting is inevitable and directly caused.

• Spreading cloth over a barrel: Prohibited if it may become wet and lead to squeezing (a form of laundering). If the cloth is designated for that purpose, it may be permitted.

• Stuffing material into a flask opening: Forbidden due to inevitable squeezing, which can involve either laundering or extracting liquid (similar to threshing).

• Using a sponge: Not allowed unless it has a handle, reducing direct squeezing.

• Plugging a barrel hole with cloth: Debate over whether an inevitable but undesired squeezing (Psik Reisha d’lo nicha lei) is permitted. Some allow it when no benefit is gained; others prohibit it rabbinically.

The shiur highlights a central principle: when an outcome is inevitable but unwanted, it may still be rabbinically prohibited on Shabbos—even without direct benefit.

This episode explores the laws of extracting liquids on Shabbos, focusing on the distinction between different food categories. Olives and grapes are most restricted because they are primarily grown for juice, while most other fruits are generally permitted to squeeze unless commonly used for juicing in a given locale. A key principle is the difference between a food’s natural internal moisture (considered part of the food) and externally absorbed liquids from cooking or pickling, which are more restricted.

The discussion then shifts from fruits and vegetables to fish, where squeezing out absorbed external liquid is prohibited, but natural internal moisture may be permitted. The podcast continues with the laws of crushing snow and ice: actively crushing to produce water is rabbinically prohibited, but allowing ice or snow to melt on its own—especially when placed into an existing drink—is permitted. Practical extensions include hand-washing with soap, use of liquid soap, breaking surface ice to access water, walking on snow, and handling salt water mixtures. The episode emphasizes intent, direct action versus indirect results, and rabbinic safeguards designed to prevent squeezing produce for drinkable juice.

This episode explores the laws of squeezing fruits and vegetables for juice on Shabbos, with a focus on lemon juice and common kitchen scenarios. It explains when squeezing is permitted versus prohibited, the distinction between squeezing for flavor versus extracting juice, and how custom and intent affect the ruling. The discussion also covers pickled or cooked foods, squeezing directly onto food versus into an empty container, and why olives and grapes are treated more strictly. Practical takeaways include safer methods—such as squeezing onto sugar or directly onto food—and an overview of differing opinions, concluding that while the mainstream ruling is lenient in certain cases, adopting a stricter approach is considered praiseworthy.

This episode explores the laws of extracting juice from fruits on Shabbos and when liquids that emerge are permitted or prohibited. We discuss olives and grapes crushed before Shabbos, when their juice is automatically allowed, and how nullification works when juice mixes immediately with existing liquid. The shiur clarifies key distinctions between juice that appears independently versus juice that blends right away, and why that difference matters.

We also cover practical scenarios: placing ice or snow into drinks, soaking raisins or grape remnants to create a beverage, filtering liquids prepared before Shabbos, and squeezing fruit directly onto food versus into an empty dish. Special attention is given to unripe or inedible fruits, differing rabbinic opinions, and when stringency is recommended. The episode concludes with everyday applications such as squeezing lemon onto food and how intent and timing affect permissibility.

This episode continues to examine the halachic rules of squeezing fruit on Shabbos. Olives and grapes remain strictly prohibited to squeeze for juice under all circumstances. Strawberries and pomegranates are treated more leniently if they are primarily for eating and juice emerges on its own, but actively squeezing them for drinking is still forbidden.

For other fruits, local custom is decisive—if a fruit is commonly juiced in a given place (such as apples today or pears in certain regions), squeezing it is prohibited; if not, there may be room for leniency. The discussion also addresses sucking juice directly from fruit, which many authorities permit since it is not the normal method of extraction, though some opinions are stricter, especially regarding olives and grapes.

Using expressed juice as a dip rather than as a beverage can be more lenient for most fruits, but not for olives and grapes due to their primary designation for liquids and concerns of appearance. The episode highlights differing rabbinic views and concludes with the importance of consulting one’s own halachic authority for practical application.

This episode introduces the laws of squeezing fruits on Shabbos. The key distinction is between fruits primarily used for juice and those mainly eaten as solids. Grapes and olives are strictly forbidden to squeeze because their normal use is for producing liquids, and even juice that seeps out on its own is prohibited as a safeguard against intentional squeezing. Some fruits, like strawberries and pomegranates, depend on intent: if they were designated for eating, naturally released juice is permitted; if intended for juicing, it is not. Most other fruits, which are generally eaten rather than juiced, may be squeezed because their liquid is not considered a standard beverage. The practical takeaway is that common dual-purpose fruits—such as oranges—are generally treated more strictly, since many people use them for juice.

A practical overview of the laws of sorting on Shabbat as they apply to everyday food preparation. This episode explores when straining or separating food is permitted versus prohibited, including sifting mustard with an egg, separating egg whites and yolks, drinking through a cloth to avoid insects, removing bugs from food or drink, skimming cream, churning butter, curdling milk, and related dairy processes. Key principles focus on the classic conditions that make sorting allowed—taking the desired item by hand for immediate use—versus using utensils or preparing for later, which is generally forbidden. The discussion also touches on edge cases such as cloth filtration, squeezing concerns, and indirect forms of separation. A concise, practical guide to recognizing permitted food preparation versus prohibited sorting on Shabbat.

This episode continues the laws of Borer (selection and filtering) on Shabbos, focusing on filtering wine and water. It clarifies when filtering is permitted using non-designated items (like cloths or wicker baskets), when special filters may be used, and the limits placed to avoid weekday-style activity. The shiur explains the issue of raising a basket above a utensil, the concern of creating a “tent-like” structure, and the concept of shinui (making a recognizable change from weekday practice).

It also covers prohibited methods of filtering, such as tightly stuffing straws or splinters into spouts, and the halachos of pouring wine from one vessel to another—especially when to stop to avoid separating wine from dregs. Finally, it reviews the core principles of Borer:

• Removing refuse from food is prohibited

• Using a כלי (filtering utensil) is prohibited

• Separating for later use is prohibited

• Permitted selection must be immediate use, by hand, and removing the desired item from the undesired

This episode continues the laws of Borer as applied to filtering liquids on Shabbos. We explore when filtering wine, water, and other drinks is permitted—focusing on the key distinction between clear and cloudy liquids. If a drink is already fit to consume without filtering, straining it may be allowed, even if small particles remain. The discussion contrasts using a designated filter versus ordinary clothing, highlighting concerns of laundering (libun) and weekday-like activity. Differences between opinions, including the Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch, are clarified, along with practical cases such as fermenting wine and the broader implications for modern questions like filtering beverages. The episode concludes with guidance on making a proper shinui when required.